Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

“Mr. Wang,” he finally spoke, “thank you for your appreciation. But I’ve never liked cages since I was a child—no matter how magnificent a cage is, it’s still a cage. I’d rather fly in the wind and rain, even if I don’t fly high, at least my wings are my own.”

Wang Jinghua's smile faded slightly: "Director Zhang, are you refusing?"

“I rejected the acquisition offer,” Zhang Yu said. “But I still hope to work with you—in another way.”

He took out a third document from his briefcase and pushed it in front of Wang Jinghua: "This is a new plan that I've been thinking about all night—the studio and you, Ms. Wang, will establish a joint venture company to specialize in artist management. The studio will hold 51% of the shares, and you will hold 49%. You will be responsible for the operation of the management segment, and I will be responsible for content production. Profits will be distributed according to the shareholding ratio, and decision-making power will be divided according to the project."

Wang Jinghua picked up the document and quickly scanned it. This proposal was much more moderate than her acquisition plan, but it still left her with enough room to maneuver—49% of the equity, almost an equal footing.

"Why 49%?" she asked.

“Because the studio must hold a controlling stake, that’s the bottom line,” Zhang Yu said. “But 49% is enough for you to do your thing. Moreover, the joint venture operates independently, and you have complete autonomy. We are only responsible for providing the artists, and you are responsible for making them famous. After they become famous, we will share the profits.”

This is a very bold idea—to separate artist management from content production, yet tightly bind them together through equity. Wang Jinghua looked down at the documents, her fingers tapping lightly on the table, a habitual gesture she made while thinking.

The meeting room fell silent again. Li Bing and Yang Mi watched Wang Jinghua nervously, waiting for her reaction.

“Director Zhang,” Wang Jinghua finally raised her head, “you’ve given me a proposal that’s hard to refuse. But I have two conditions.”

"You say."

"First, I want exclusive operating rights for the joint venture for three years. Within those three years, all artist management affairs of the studio must be handled by the joint venture; they cannot be handled by ourselves or by other management companies," Wang Jinghua said. "Second, I want Yang Mi's full management contract. Not just film and television contracts, but all contracts—advertising, endorsements, commercial performances, everything."

Yang Mi froze. She looked at Zhang Yu with a complicated expression.

Zhang Yu didn't answer immediately. He looked at Yang Mi: "Yang Mi, what are your thoughts?"

Yang Mi bit her lip, then took a deep breath: "Mr. Wang, if I sign the entire contract with you, what can you give me in return?"

"Within a year, you'll have at least one leading role, endorsements from three top-tier brands, and a cover for a mainstream fashion magazine," Wang Jinghua said decisively. "Yang Mi, you have great potential, but you need professional development. I can transform you from a newcomer to a top-tier star within three years."

This promise was very tempting. Yang Mi looked at Zhang Yu, who nodded slightly.

"Okay," Yang Mi said, "I'll sign."

Wang Jinghua smiled, this time a more genuine smile: "Sure. Then these are my two conditions. Director Zhang, what do you think?"

Zhang Yu looked at the proposal in his hand, then at Yang Mi, and finally at Wang Jinghua: "I agree. But the joint venture needs to sign a supplementary agreement—the artist's development path must respect the artist's own wishes, and there can be no forced roles, no forced hype, and no unspoken rules. This is my bottom line."

Wang Jinghua raised an eyebrow: "Director Zhang, do you not trust me?"

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that I’m being frank about this from the start.” Zhang Yu was very candid. “Mr. Wang, I respect your professionalism, and I hope you will respect me as a person. The artists in my studio are not just products, they are my partners. We built this empire together, and we should share the rewards together. If anyone is bullied, I will stand up for them.”

He spoke earnestly, his eyes filled with an unwavering determination. Wang Jinghua looked at him and suddenly smiled: "Director Zhang, you're really special. Okay, I agree. We can add a supplementary agreement, but I also want to add a clause—if the artist doesn't perform well and fails to seize opportunities, the joint venture company has the right to adjust resource allocation."

“Fair.” Zhang Yu nodded.

For the next two hours, both sides' lawyers confirmed the contract terms item by item over the phone. Zhang Yu, Wang Jinghua, Yang Mi, and Li Bing remained in the conference room, and the atmosphere shifted from tense to harmonious.

“Director Zhang,” Wang Jinghua suddenly said while waiting for the lawyer’s reply, “Actually, I came here today not just to discuss cooperation. I wanted to see if you could still remain calm and make sound judgments after suffering such a huge blow. Now it seems I didn’t misjudge you.”

Zhang Yu laughed: "Is President Wang testing me?"

"I suppose so." Wang Jinghua took a sip of tea. "There are many talented people in this industry, but very few can stay clear-headed during a crisis. Most people would break down under pressure, compromise, and make wrong decisions. You didn't. Instead, you used the crisis to find new opportunities. This ability is even more valuable than talent."

"Thank you for the compliment."

“This isn’t a compliment, it’s a fact.” Wang Jinghua looked at Yang Mi. “And you, Yang Mi. To have such vision and decisiveness at twenty years old, your future is limitless. Follow Director Zhang closely, he will make you a real actor, not just a star.”

Yang Mi nodded: "I will."

At noon, all contract terms were confirmed. Zhang Yu and Wang Jinghua signed the "Joint Venture Agreement," and Yang Mi also signed the "Brokerage Contract."

"It's a pleasure to work with you." Wang Jinghua extended her hand.

"It's a pleasure working with you." Zhang Yu grasped her hand, the star-shaped birthmark under his left eye slightly warm. Wang Jinghua's star-like mark had taken shape—not infatuation, but a mutual recognition and binding of interests between powerful individuals.

After seeing Wang Jinghua and her assistant off, only Zhang Yu, Yang Mi, and Li Bing remained in the conference room.

“Director Zhang,” Li Bing spoke first, “Congratulations. Wang Jinghua has very high standards; it’s not easy to get her to sign such a contract so readily.”

"It's the result of everyone's joint efforts." Zhang Yu looked at Yang Mi, "Especially you, Yang Mi. Thank you for being willing to sign the full contract."

Yang Mi smiled: "Director Zhang, please don't say that. I'm doing this for myself. President Wang can give me the resources I want, and you can guarantee that while I get those resources, I won't be treated like a commodity. This combination is the ideal choice for me."

She spoke realistically and sincerely. Zhang Yu nodded: "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things. As long as I'm here, I won't let you suffer any injustice."

Yang Mi's eyes suddenly reddened, but she quickly regained her composure and turned her head away, saying, "Thank you, Director Zhang."

Li Bing watched this scene with a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, deep emotion). This studio was indeed different.

---

2 p.m.

Meanwhile, at the reshoot site of the Ming and Qing Palace in Hengdian, the atmosphere was so tense it was almost palpable.

Chen Chen stood behind the monitor, holding a walkie-talkie, her brows furrowed. Today, she wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, her hair tied in a low ponytail, and no makeup, but she exuded a powerful aura—Zhang Yu had gone to negotiate with Wang Jinghua, and before leaving, he handed over the overall command of the reshoot site to her.